My interest in Family History has been well and truly re-ignited!  Perhaps I should give you a little bit of history first.

I started doing family history research in about 1984, having had a life-long interest in all things to do with family history and enjoying  stories related by my Gran and Dad .  I liked nothing better than going into the cupboard in my Gran’s living room and taking out the photo box to look through.  The box itself was a treasure – to me as a little girl it was very big and heavy.  It was made of very old and beautiful wood.   The photos were fascinating and I would ask questions about them.

I started by drawing up a simple family tree.  I knew a little information, for example, my grandparents names, but not their dates of birth, marriage or death.  Unfortunately by the time I decided to take genealogy up as a hobby, both my Dad and Gran had passed away.   My Aunt – my Dad’s sister, was very helpful and provided very useful information including names and dates of birth for cousins of her generation.  However, it was clear that I would have to pay a visit to Edinburgh, where the official records were kept.

My first visit to New Register House in Edinburgh was so exciting.  The building itself is simply amazing, with the records being kept on the upper floors of the circular building.  Seeing my ancestors actual signatures on birth, marriage and death certificates was very exciting!

Having gathered quite a bit of information I constructed my family tree.  The records were invaluable in helping me further my research.

To be continued ………